Infiltrometers have been used for many years to collect information regarding soil characteristics. These instruments are used to measure soil characteristics and properties such as sorptivity, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, macroporosity, and others. The measurements are then used to derive information useful in determining soil hydraulic properties for studying leaching and erosion, modeling soil pore structure to estimate drainage and other characteristics, and allowing informed prediction of root growth and other factors associated with soil tilth. An automated tension infiltrometer is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,436 which is incorporated herein by reference.
Soil variability necessitates ponded infiltration measurements at numerous sites to accurately characterize infiltration on a field scale. Also, rapid and precise measurement of infiltration in-situ is important for characterizing soil properties. However, currently known instruments and methods used to measure ponded or saturated infiltration rates are imprecise, difficult to transport, and ill-suited for typical field situations.
Those concerned with these and other problems recognize the need for an improved ponded infiltrometer.